How Converse’s Run Star Motion is using nostalgia to propel the brand forward

Here’s everything you need to know about the new style.

I was sixteen when I got my first pair of Converse. A pair of classic black high tops given to me by my parents on my birthday. By putting on the fresh canvas sneakers, I felt grown-up, stylish and (despite living in regional New South Wales), fashion-forward. 

I’m sure millions of other people have similar stories of Converse marking milestones like first days of school and sixteenth birthdays. The heritage brand has stayed consistent throughout its more than 100-year history and despite creating new colourways and cuts, has always managed to remain a shoe found in most wardrobes around the world. 

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But, as we enter the ’20s and a world we’ve never seen before, Converse has debuted a new Create Next collection for us to jump into. One of the first releases out of the shoebox is the futuristic Run Star Motion. 

Reaching new heights

Featuring a stretchy canvas upper with an eccentric rubber sole, the Run Star Motion looks like it was pulled straight out of a sci-fi hero’s mind. The clever shoe builds upon the Run Star Hike, which (literally) elevated the classic Converse high top by adding a chunky heel, moving the brand from street style snaps to the runway. The silhouette of the Run Star Motion takes the genius of the JW Anderson x Converse collaboration and plays with it even further. 

According to Converse’s women’s footwear designer, Alyssa Makere, the team jetted off to Berlin to find inspiration for the futuristic design. It was the “carefree spirit” of the German city and fashion goers that shaped the shoe’s aesthetic.

The boldness of Berlin made Alyssa and the team reimagine the “teeth” of the Run Star Hike and dared them to ask, “What if we made those bigger?” Add in a uniquely wavy, rubber platform and you’ve got an elevated pair of Converse. 

Oversized trend

It’s easy to see that the Run Star Motion is also playing into the chunky sneaker trend. First seen on Steve Jobs and dads of the ’90s, the sneaker industry now has us all walking around like Bratz dolls. 

Some believe that the chunky shoe trend is an extension of the late 2010s normcore aesthetic where muted colours and simple designs reigned supreme. Looking at Converse’s latest line and specifically the Run Star Motion, the rubber exterior is doing all the talking.

There’s no wild colours, wacky accessories or sequined laces. Just the classic Converse high top, but elevated. Oversized sneakers is the shoe trend that seems to have the most staying power for the new generation of consumers. 

Nostalgia rules 

In our truly chaotic world right now, it seems more of us are reaching for things that feel familiar. Samsung is bringing flip phones back and the oversized blazer trend is reminiscent of our mums in the ’80s. 

Nostalgia is selling as we yearn for simpler times and Converse has built on that. With the Run Star Motion, you have the sleek lines and silhouette of the 1949 high tops with a distinctly 2020s flair. 

The pair look like an old familiar friend (one I had when I was sixteen) but now I could wear the sneaker brand while traipsing through the city, not just around the school yard. 

Future footwear

Overall, this Create Next release means a bold new future for Converse. No longer is it sticking with alternating coloured canvas – instead its reimagining what a shoe could look and feel like. Being a part of the CX line – features that add innovative comfort to advance fit, form and sizing – the Run Star Motion is listening to customer’s number one request: more comfort. 

Between the bouncy sole, eccentric design and hybrid of heritage styles, the Run Star Motion may become the next everyday sneaker for this brave new world. My ten-year-old black high tops are shaking. 

You can shop the Run Star Motion here.